Clackamas, OR – They are often first on scene in a crisis, now the Clackamas County Sheriff's Department SWAT Team is lending their expertise to Oregon Army National Guard soldiers training for a deployment to the Middle East.

"If we can just pass along some of the training experience we've had we can give them another tool in their tool box when they go to Iraq," said Sheriff Craig Roberts of the Clackamas County Sheriff's Department.

More than 30 soldiers with the Oregon Army National Guard 41 Special Troops Battalion trained with seven members of the Clackamas County Sheriff's Department SWAT team at Camp Withycombe on Saturday, April 5, 2008. The training allowed soldiers to practice important skills they can use in urban warfare scenarios like room clearing and hand to hand combat.

"They do this type of operation everyday, this is there bread and butter, so to have them here to add to our expertise is very valuable," said Cpt. David Bankston, Commander of HHC.

"I told my guys I want them to mess up now, this is where they can make their mistakes, when they get over there that's when it counts," said Lt. Eric Martz, Platoon Leader for the 41 STB.

Martz said the training provided a great opportunity for his soldiers to sharpen their skills.

"It's been great," said Martz. "A lot of these guys have the basics of how the military does it, now they have the opportunity to see how the SWAT team handles these sort of situations with the civilian population," he said.

Sheriff Roberts said he was humbled and honored to be able to provide training for the Oregon National Guard.

"They make a huge sacrifice for our country and I really believe it is about working together," said Roberts. "The National Guard has helped us with searches and drug eradication, if there is something we can ever do for the National Guard we are going to be right there," he said.

The 41 Special Troops Battalion will deploy as part of the 41 Brigade Combat Team to Iraq in 2009. Once in Iraq, the soldiers who make up part of the Oregon National Guards' Military Police will take part in protection operations, civil support, and security.

Photos:

Photo #1 With a member of the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office SWAT team looking on, soldiers from the Oregon National Guard practice making tactical entries into a building during training at Camp Withycombe on Saturday.

Photo by Patrick Sherman/CCSO

Photo #2 Deputy Tony Kollias, a member of the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office SWAT team, tells a group of Oregon National Guard soldiers how to safely approach a doorway.